Lady Bikers in Belitung, Indonesia

Our flight from Jakarta to Tanjung Pandan was delayed. We reached the orphanage, Panti Asuhan Yatim, and Dhuafa Muhammadiyah Putra Anda, at around 7pm. It was drizzling, but once we stepped out of the car, the orphanage girls performed us a welcome dance. We were so touched by their enthusiasm and warm welcome. The secretary, Mr. Naryapandi, told us that the girls have been practicing since the first email sent, indicating our interests to visit the home.

There are three shelters under the same group; Panti Asuhan Yatim and Dhuafa Muhammadiyah Putra Anda (Boys), Panti Asuhan Yatim and Dhuafa Putri Aisyiyah (Girls), and Panti Jompo (the elderly). We were told that the children of about 80 have gathered at the place since 2pm. By the time we arrived, there were only a few remained, mostly girls. If we do it again, we will schedule our meeting the next morning instead. It is hard to predict airline delays and road conditions. And we would also like to spend more time with the lovely children and their keepers.

Families and Friends, Thank you for your donations and help. You know who you are… Love

Mr. Naryapandi told us some disheartening stories about the residents in the shelter and introduced us to the three young siblings, who lost their parents. My heart sank in the middle of the ocean, I felt a lump in my throat. I was thinking how lucky we are having our family to take care of us, and how often we take our parents and loved ones for granted. We just presumed that they will always be there, and to know that these little ones only have each other is heartbroken.

“NOT ALL OF US CAN DO GREAT THINGS. BUT WE CAN DO SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE.” ~ MOTHER TERESA

Our rented motorcycles were delivered to the hotel the next morning. After breakfast, we all geared up and proceeded to the nearest place to fill our fuel. We encountered a few incidents before our long ride. Mel fell off her bike with a slight bruise, and Lynn’s bike could not start after fuelling. We have to wait for a replacement.

We cannot always control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond. The lady bikers from Malaysia and Singapore were supportive of each other, the group compromises and respect their similarities and differences. Some of us never meet prior to the trip, but hit it off right away and remain good friends.

Some of the interesting places we visited were Kaolin Lake. This place is used to be a mining site but after stopping the mining activities, the land naturally became a beautiful and breath-taking artificial lake.

Belitung island became famous after the successful award-winning Indonesian movie titled Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops). This movie portrays the struggling life of the island’s poor children and their teachers. We went to the replica of the elementary school SD Muhammadiyah Laskar Pelangi where the movie was shot. We met some kids who sang us a song from the movie.

We stopped by at Bendungan Pice, the legacy water gate system left by the Dutch. There are 16 gates controlling the water flow of the Sungai Linggang.

Revolving around Andrea Hirata’s most popular work of Laskar Pelangi, Museum Kata Andrea Hirata’s display an abundance of colorful artwork and inspirations quotes. We had our snacks at the charming traditional coffee shop.

We do not know much about Indonesia politics and refuse to get involved with the saga, but understands that the ex-governor of Jakarta, Mr. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or “Ahok”, is a well-respected figure for his strong stance against corruption and his huge contributions to Jakarta. Kampong Ahok is where he was brought up, it has a souvenir store that sells many merchandises with Ahok’s figure on it.

Tanjung Kelayang is a beautiful white sand beach decorated by granite rock formations. It has a panoramic view of the blue sea, swaying coconut trees, low tides, and gentle tropical breeze. We had an impromptu meet up with Belitung Bikers, sharing our passion for motorcycle riding, and took some pictures together.

Belitung has many small beautiful islands scattered around it. We had our picnic at Lengkuas Island and some of us climbed the lighthouse which was built in 1882. We also visited Burung Island, Babi Island and Sand Island. Not all of us have a passion for the underwater world, so we only spent a little time snorkeling off the boat. The weather was not great, and the water was choppy, so on the way back, almost all of us get very seasick.

We had our last meal in Belitung at Rumah Makan Timpuk Dulu. It is a unique culinary place that serves Belitung traditional cuisine. The ambiance was great and the food tasty.

Belitung island is beautiful, the lovely beaches are perfect for a picnic, and the turquoise waters are great for snorkeling, diving, and swimming. The locals are friendly, helpful, always smiling, and have a laid back and relaxed attitude. The road condition was good with some parts broken because of the recent floods. It satisfies our love for motorcycling; feeling the air, temperature, smell the moments, facing the challenges, and witnessing beautiful scenery and events along the way.

About Me

Hi, I'm Intan. I write, paint, hike and ride, and have the biggest crush on travel. I would say I have colorful personality, mysterious and unpredictable yet respect is what I value the most... Life is Beautiful!